Microscopic observation of discharge plasma on the surface of zeolites supported metal nanoparticles

Abstract

The physical role of nanometre-sized metal particles (Ag, Zr, Cu) in the generation of discharge plasma over the surface of zeolites is presented. The optical observation system, consisting of a microscope–ICCD camera, was applied to observe the generation of discharge plasma on zeolites supported metal nanoparticle. The zeolite supported metal nanoparticles assisted the discharge plasma to expand over a wide surface area. Among the tested active metals in this study, silver exhibited the most prominent influence in the discharge plasmas on the surface of zeolites. On the other hand, plasma generation was limited to the edges of the zeolites when the bare zeolites were used. The difference in the shape and the area of the discharge plasma was also found to be correlated with the performance of plasma–catalyst reactor for the decomposition of volatile organic compounds. The microscopic observation method can also be used for the rough-but-rapid evaluation of catalyst for a plasma-driven catalyst process.